Drakenstein Stud’s prominent resident stallion What A Winter enjoyed a notable double at Durbanville racecourse on Tuesday.
The Chrigor Stud bred Go Snow Girl Go was duly rewarded for consistency when the 3yo shed her maiden over 1400m on Tuesday. The filly, ridden to victory by Anton Marcus, had been placed at each of her three previous outings but made no mistake on Tuesday when running out a comfortably one and a half length winner.
Out of the Tara’s Halls Dvina, Go Snow Girl Go was a R140 000 buy from the 2017 National Two Year Old Sale.
What A Winter looks to have a potentially very smart 3yo on his hands in the form of Sacred Arrow. The former, who had contested the Langerman last season, made a big impression on Tuesday when downing Camelot’s impressive debut winner Crown Towers over 1400m, under a good ride from Bernard Fayd’Herbe.
Sacred Arrow, who was picking up a second win from five outings, stayed on smartly to defeat 1-3 shot Crown Towers by three parts of a length and he looks above average. Out of the Rambo Dancer mare Cheyenne, the gelded Sacred Arrow was a R250 000 buy from the 2017 Cape Premier Yearling Sale.
Both Sacred Arrow, who had previously finished third to Cape champion One World over 1400m last season, and Go Snow Girl Go hail from the yard of Candice Bass-Robinson.
What A Winter, South Africa’s Champion First Crop Sire of 2016-2017, has now been responsible for 17 winners from his current crop of 3yos which include brilliant G3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery winning filly Clouds Unfold and Kuda Sprint hero Agent Of Fortune. The latter currently tops the log for the 2018 R2 500 000 CTS Ready To Run Stakes due to be run in November.
Other notable performers sired by What A Winter thus far include top sprinters Magical Wonderland and Dutch Philip and 2018 G1 G-Bets Gauteng Summer Cup entrant Warrior’s Rest.
The son of Western Winter has one lot on offer at the 2018 Ready To Run Sale in Germiston –a filly (Lot 46) whose winning dam is a half-sister to the stakes placed dam of G2 Merchants winner Sniper Shot.